


I Will Say Your Name

by lionheartedghost



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: 8x04, Angst, Canon Compliant, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Jaime Lannister Needs a Hug, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-06 03:36:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19054447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionheartedghost/pseuds/lionheartedghost
Summary: “You’re hateful.” He couldn’t turn away from the weight of her eyes, not with her hand still gripping the back of his head.“And so are you.” Her smile was gentle again as she brought her face to his. He grimaced, looked everywhere but her until she filled his vision completely, her lips so close that he could feel her breath on his throat. “The things you did for love.”He clawed his way back to consciousness with the desperation of a drowning man.Jaime is haunted by dreams. Brienne is there.Set in 8x04. Basically canon-compliant.





	I Will Say Your Name

**Author's Note:**

> This is canon-compliant as long as we assume Jaime later went to King's Landing to kill Cersei rather than to be with her, which is what I like to tell myself. 
> 
> Title taken from 'Be Still' by The Fray, which is another song on my Braime playlist because it's so beautiful.

He saw her face in his dreams. She was pleasant at first, her hands gentle as she cupped his cheek, ran her fingers through his hair. She smiled, oh so sweetly, eyes of green pleading with him to hold her.  
  
Then her face turned.  
  
Her lips twisted into a cruel smirk. Her nails clawed at his skin. The hand in his hair tightened, forcing his head back, dragging him down onto his knees. She stood over him and bared her perfect teeth. He tried furtively to escape her grasp, to break free of the poison of her glare, but he couldn’t. He never could.  
  
“I am a part of you.” Her voice was ice in his veins. “We came into this world together, dear brother. I don’t mean to leave you alone until the day we both take our last breath.”  
  
“You’re hateful.” He couldn’t turn away from the weight of her eyes, not with her hand still gripping the back of his head.  
  
“And so are you.” Her smile was gentle again as she brought her face to his. He grimaced, looked everywhere but her until she filled his vision completely, her lips so close that he could feel her breath on his throat. “The things you did for love.”  
  
He clawed his way back to consciousness with the desperation of a drowning man.  
  


*

  
“Jaime?”

The bedsheets clung to the sweat on his back as he scrambled to sit up, his fingers curling into the furs.

“ _Jaime_.” He had scarcely registered her voice before but it came again now, more urgently this time. A hand rested tentatively on his cheek; he flinched away from the touch, the feel of Cersei’s nails still lingering in his mind, so real he was sure they must have marked him.

“Don’t.”

The hand drew back.

“Jaime.” He couldn’t look at her. His heart beat furiously in his chest, unbearably loud in his ears. “It was just a dream. You’re in Winterfell with me. You’re safe.”

He’d never be safe, none of them would ever be safe, not for as long as Cersei still drew breath.

“It was only a dream.” Her voice was so soft he could hardly hear it over the rushing of blood in his head. “I’m here with you.”

He stared across at the fire as his breathing evened out. The flames were beginning to die to embers; all thoughts of stoking it before falling asleep had no doubt been forgotten when he had arrived at her door unannounced.

“Jaime?”

He found the strength to look at her at last. Her eyes were as bright as ever, a blue only rivalled by the sapphire waters of Tarth, but they were flecked with concern. Concern for _him_. He hated that he worried her.

“Forgive me, Ser Brienne,” he smiled tiredly. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll return to the guest chambers.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” She began to reach for his hand and paused, watching the way he still gripped at the furs, as if they were the only thing tethering him to life. He forced himself to uncurl his fingers and took her hand, closing the gap between them himself.

“I truly am sorry,” he murmured. “Go back to sleep.” He lay his head back down on the pillow and closed his eyes, listening to the creak as she reluctantly did the same.

He opened his eyes again a moment later.

“I could feel you looking at me.” He met her gaze. She lay on her side, her face turned towards him, regarding him with an uncertainty that made his chest ache.

“What did you dream?”

He bit his lip, shook his head as if to brush away the question. “It doesn’t matter. Please don’t trouble yourself over me.”

She was quiet for a moment. “I’ve dreamt of the dead since the battle. More than once.”

He furrowed his brow, edged close enough to her that he could make out every detail of her face in the dwindling firelight.

“We can’t fight them back,” she said quietly. “There is no end to them. Arya Stark doesn’t win the battle for us. Everyone I care for is dead at my feet. Lady Sansa. Podrick. You.” He hears her stuttered breath. “I can’t save you.”

It was his hand that came to rest on her face then, his thumb brushing against her cheekbone. He pressed his forehead to hers.

“I’m sorry.”

She laid her hand wordlessly atop his. “There is no shame in dreams, Jaime,” she said carefully. ”They don’t make us weak. They can’t hurt us.”

Jaime swallowed. “Cersei," he admitted. "I dreamt of Cersei.”

Something flickered in her eyes. It wasn’t jealousy, nor hatred, but something he’d never found in Cersei. Sympathy.

She didn’t ask him what had happened in the dream. She didn’t need to.

“You’re nothing like your sister.”

Jaime didn’t reply.

“I mean it.” She squeezed his hand. “You’re a good man, Jaime Lannister.”

Jaime kissed her. “Not good enough to deserve you.”

“That’s not for you to decide.”

Jaime smiled and turned his head away from her, glancing at the hearth. “The fire’s going out.”

“Let it.”

“That’s rather reckless of you, Ser Brienne,” he grinned crookedly. “You’ll regret your words when you wake up freezing.”

“I have you to keep me warm.” She gave him the hint of a smile back.

“As you command.” He took hold of her hand and pressed her knuckles to his lips.

He watched her fall asleep in front of him, watched the steady rise and fall of her chest beneath the furs, tried to let the measured sound of her breathing lull him back into unconsciousness. He was safe in Winterfell, they both were, safe from the dead, safe from Cersei, safe from any danger that might befall them. The room was beginning to grow cold, but there was warmth to be found with her in his arms.

_There is no shame in dreams, Jaime. They can’t hurt us._

Sleep found him again as the sky grew pale with weak sunlight. He kept the dreams at bay.

They returned the next night regardless.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please leave kudos/a comment if you've got the time!


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